Method of and machine for making wire-glass.



R. A. B. WALSH. METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR. MAKING WIRE GLASS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 2, 1907.

940,842. Patented Nov. 23, 1909.

-w w w {Original application filed May 22,1907,

'ATEENT orrron.

ROBERT A.

PARTY, or sr. Lou s, mtssouiar,

IB. WALSH, OF ST. LOUIS,-MISSOUBI,.ASSIGNOB T0 MISSISSIYPI GLASS COM- A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

I or Ann momma roe mxme wrnnenass.

Specification of Letters latent.

To all whom it concern:

Be it known that I, Bonner A. B. WALSH,

a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Methods of This invention relates to a new and usefulmethod of, and a machine for making wire glass,'and particularly wire glass in which a plurality of layers are employed to form the ultimate sheet. a

The object of my invention is to produce a sheet of wire glass having smooth brilliant surfaces, the wire of said sheet retaining its original bright and new appearance. after it has been embedded-in the glass.-

In the manufacture of wire glass, the

draw the glass so as toproduce an uneven or an irregular surface. It has" been proposed, see for illustration the patent to Walsh, No. 610,593, dated September 13, 1898, to cure these irregularities by smoothing them down by a finishing roller; but this cannot always be successfully accomplished, because, while the finishing roller. acts upon the elevations, it will not perfectly transfer the surplusglass to the depressions and make a perfect weld. It has also been proposed, see for illustration the Schmertz reissue patent No. 12,443, dated January 30, 1906, to press thewiremesh into the top surface of a first formed sheet or layer of glass and then spread a finishing layer or sheet of molten glass thereover.- This method produces a better and smoother finish to the top surface of the sheet than the Walsh method first-mentioned. In both of I these methods, the wire, on account of-its tendency of -the wire is to contract anda top layer or to draw this action is sometimes observed on the surface of the second layer.

Briefly stated; my present method consists in forming a bottom layer or sheet of glass, forming a top layer or sheet of glass and drawing a wire mesh into the underneath surface of said top layer and thereafter combining the layers together to form a single sheet. Preferably, the wire mesh is caused to cut its way into the underneath surface of the top layer or sheet at the same time said sheet is being formed so that in its heated condition the wire mesh will not be exposed to atmosphere and will accordingly preserve its bright and new appearance in the finished product.

It is obvious that various forms of apparatus could be used for practicing my invention and I have herein illustrated two forms of apparatus for carrying out my method, that which is illustrated in Fig. l comprising a table 1 having a smooth surface roller 2 arranged above the upper surface thereof for forming a mass of molten glass into a bottom layer or sheet and a pair of rollers 3 and 4 arranged above the table for forming a separate mass of molten glass into a sheet, the roller 3 also operating to combine the two layers together to form a single sheet. Said apparatus also com prises a pair of tension rolls 5 which are so disposed relatively to the rollers 23 and 4 that a. wire mesh will cut its way into the mass of molten glass which is formed into the top layer or sheet. In practicing my method with apparatus of this description,

a mass of molten glass 6 is dumped onto the table adjacent thelroller 2 and the table is then moved in the direction of the arrow, thereby causing the roller 2 to form the mass ofmolten glass 6 into a bottom layer or sheet 7 \Vhen the front end of saidbottom layer 7 reaches the rollers 3 and 4: a second mass of molten glass 8 is dumped between the rollers 3 and 4' which forms said mass into a top layer or sheet 9 that moves downwardly, onto the bottom layer and is combined therewith by the roller 3. Prior to the operation of pouring the mass of molten glass 8 between the rollers? and 4 the wire mesh 10 which passes between the tension rolls 5 was placed upon the roller 4 so that as the mass 7 is being formed into a top layer the wire mesh em- Patented Nov.23,1909.

Serial No. 375,112. Divided and this application filed December 2, 1907. Serial No. eoesso. 1

.could be stationary and the rollers and tension rolls be moved longitudinally thereof without departing from the spirit of my invention.

In Fig. 2 I have shown another form of apparatus which could be used for practicing my method, this apparatus being substantially-the same as that shown in Fig. 1 except that an independent roller 11 is used for combining the two layers together, the roller 3 simply cooperating with the roller 4 to form a mass of molten glass 8 into a top layer. It will be observed that a complete sheet of wire glass is first formed; towit, a sheet or layer of wire glass, into the underneath surface of which a wire mesh is drawn, and finally, a finishing layer of glass is welded to the underneath surface of the layer in which the wire mesh is embedded, the finishing layer filling in the spaces in the top layer which were caused by the wire as it embedded itself in said layer. Thus, the tendency of the wire to draw the glass in contracting and produce an irregular and uneven surface on the sheet or layer in which it is embedded, is corrected by the finishing layer which not only fills in the unevenness in the layer that contains the wire mesh but said finishing layer more readilypartakes'of and retains the smooth even surface imparted thereto by the table.

his case is a division of an application filed by me May 22, 1907, and serially numbered 375,112.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by- Letters Patent is: 1. An apparatus for making wire glass, comprising means for forming a sheet or layer of glass, means for forming a second sheet or layer of glass, means for drawing a wire mesh into the underneath surface of said last-named sheet or layer, and means for combinin said layers together; substantially as escribed. y

2. An apparatus of the character described, comprising means for forming a sheet or layer of glass, tension'devices for drawing the wire mesh into the underneath surface of said sheet, and means for forming a second sheet or layer of glass and welding it to the uneven underneath surface of the layer in which the wire mesh is embedded; substantially as described.

apparatus for making wire glass, comprising means for forming a sheet or layer of glass, means for drawing. a wire ---which the wire mesh mesh into the underneath surface of said sheet simultaneously with the operation of forming it, means for forming a second sheet or layer of glass and welding it to the uneven underneath surface of the sheet in is embedded; substana roller arranged a ove tiallyas described.

An apparatus for making wire comprising a table,

said table for spreading a mass of molten glass thereover to form a bottom layer or sheet a pair of rollers arranged above the table or orming a second mass of molten glass into a to layer, and tension rolls so disposed. relatively to said pair of rollers that a wire mesh is drawn into the underneath surface of the top layer at the same time said layer is being ormed; substantially as described.

5. An apparatus of the character described, comprising means for rolling a mass of molten glass into a bottom layer or sheet, means for rolling'a separate mass at molten glass into a top layer-or sheet, tension devices for drawing a wire mesh into the underneath surface of said top layer so that it is completely embedded, and independent means for combining said layers together; substantially as described.

6. The method of making wire glass, which consists of forming a bottom layer or sheet of glass, forming a top layer or sheet of glass and drawing the wire mesh into the underneath surface of said top layer, and thereafter combining said layers together; substantially as described.

7. The method of making wire glass, which consists in first forming ,a bottom layer or sheet of glass, thereafter forming a top layer or sheet of glass and simultaneously rawing the wire mesh into the underneath surface of said 'top layer so that it is completely embedded, and thereafter welding said to layer to the u per surface of the bottom layer; substantiafiy as described.

8. The method of making wire glass,

which consists in progresslvely forming masses of molten glass into independent layers or sheets and simultaneously exerting tension on a wire mesh so that it will cut its way into the underneath face of the top layer, and thereafter combining said layers together to form a single sheet of wire glass; substantially as described.

9. The method of which consists in rolling a mass of molten glass into layer form, rolling a separate mass of molten glass into'layer form and simul-' taneously pulling a wire mesh beneath the bottom surface thereof so 'that it is completely covered, and thereafter combining said layers into a single sheet, substantially as. described.- I

10. The method of making wired glass which consists in rolling amass of molten making wired glass glass into layer form; rollin a separate mass In'testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my ofmolten glass into layer arm, and simulsignature in the presence of two Witnesses, taneouslypulling a wire mesh beneath the thls twentysixthqday 0f.November-1907.

bottom surface thereof so that it is com- ROBERT A. B. WALSH. pletely covered, andj thereafter combining Witnesses; said layers into a single sheet; substantially F, R. CORNWALL,

asdescribed. GEORGE BAimwELL. 

